Jadon Sancho toasts Raheem Sterling’s example to England youngsters

Amid the smiles that followed England’s beautiful dissection of the Czech Republic on Friday night, few were bigger than Jadon Sancho’s when asked whether Raheem Sterling was now one of the daddies of the team. “Yeah,” the 18-year-old replied, his face lighting up as he began his eulogy. “His numbers are crazy this year, and he’s showing all the youngsters what it’s about. I’m just happy that I’m sharing a pitch with him.”

Not so long ago it would have been unusual for a 24-year-old such as Sterling to be regarded as an elder statesman. Then again, in Gareth Southgate’s new England all sorts of staid conventions are being joyously ripped up. The Manchester City forward has the second-highest number of caps in the squad with 48 – just one behind Jordan Henderson – and nine players have fewer than 10 appearances. Increasingly, the emphasis is on youthful dash and dare.